Are you struggling with fatigue at work more often than you should? That cup of coffee isn’t always enough to cure your exhaustion throughout the day. You might not be considering the other things your body needs to keep you feeling refreshed and renewed. Use this checklist to manage your fatigue in the workplace and find yourself more focused and motivated – ready to take on the day!
Sleeping Patterns —
Adequate sleep is necessary when seeking a well-rested mind and body. This means you need to commit to 7-8 hours of sleep every night to be able to keep up with your commitments during the day. It doesn’t make sense to expect your body to be able to complete all of the tasks that need to be done on 4 hours of sleep – and it’s not healthy.
For a good night’s rest, begin by winding down. Developing a bedtime routine can help your body decompress and go to sleep. Here are a few ideas to help you get started:
- Drink a hot, caffeine-free herbal tea to soothe you
- Read a book instead of browsing social media
- Eliminate electronics at least an hour before bed
- Sleep in a dark and cool room that is clear of distractions
- Develop a set time for waking up and going to sleep every day/night
Maintain a Nutritious Diet —
What you eat affects your body, and energy levels, more than you would know. It’s important to look at these habits as an opportunity for improvement. To ensure you are getting satisfactory nutrition:
- Consume a balanced diet of carbs, fats, and proteins
- Eat small meals more frequently rather than a few large meals
- Avoid overeating at lunch and falling into an afternoon slump
- Choose healthy snacks: yogurt, bananas, almonds, vegetables, berries
Stay Hydrated —
It is important to stay hydrated during the day to avoid dehydration. A few ways to help you keep a healthy level of hydration are:
- Keep a water bottle at your desk and fill it up throughout the day
- If you are not much of a water drinker you can always try adding fruit to sweeten things up a bit
- Use an app to track your water intake for motivation
Dehydration is a catalyst for exhaustion so it is important that you avoid this at all costs. Our bodies are made up of 60% water, so you can see where it would be important to make sure you are getting enough.
Implement Breaks & Movement —
Ensuring you are staying active is an important part of managing your fatigue. Enforce a little bit of movement during the day wherever you can:
- Walk outside on your lunch break for fresh air and sunlight
- Get up and walk over to your coworker instead of calling or emailing
- Take a bathroom break
- Get up to fill your water bottle
- Take the stairs if your office is not on the first floor
- Stand up to do your work—install a sit-stand at your desk
- Have walking meetings instead of sitting in a stuffy conference room
- Engage in any workplace activities that are provided to you
Sitting at your desk the entire day can make you feel groggy and run-down. You need to make sure you are implementing breaks and movement throughout the day to keep your mind and body alert.
Reduce Stress —
Reducing stress can be achieved by following the above steps to managing your fatigue. If you think about it, making sure your mind and body are awake and aware are the first steps in reducing a lot of your stress. Here are a few ways to help reduce stress:
- Try progressive relaxation
- Try some light yoga
- Practice Deep Breathing
- Listen to music
- Spark some scents – aromatherapy
- Write it down
- Take a walk
Managing your fatigue cancels out a lot of problems that you may be having and correlates directly to reducing stress in your life and in the workplace. While energy slumps throughout the day are completely normal, reducing fatigue can help you stay productive and happier at work. Adjusting a few minor aspects of your routine can significantly impact your workplace energy.
